Acacia Wine Dinner Nov. 1st

Acacia announces a three course mini wine dinner Wednesday November 1st! Dale has put together a wonderful fall menu to compliment these delicious california wines. Clement Brown from Virginia Distributing will be on hand to answer your questions about the wines. Reservations will be required and the event will cost $32per person. For attendees of the tasting only these wines will be available to order from River City Cellars at a special price. We look forward to seeing you.

Mini wine dinner November 1st:

salt roasted pears, belgian endive salad, creamy bacon dressing
Sauvignon Blanc, Sterling Vineyards, Napa Valley 2005

crepe stuffed with smoked salmon, cauliflower, basil sauce
Chardonnay, St. Clement, Napa Valley 2005

speckled trout, curry lentils, apples, raisins, eggplant chip
Pinot Noir, Solaris, Carneros 2005
or
boneless beef shortribs, braised cranberries, crispy potato gratin, swiss chard
Cabernet Sauvignon, Oberon, Napa Valley 2002
$32. Per person

and ALWAYS:TUESDAY nights HALF-PRICE wines by the bottle, when you order from our dinner menu or prix-fixe menu.
three-course PRIX-FIXE menu $21.95 MONDAY-THURSDAY 5:30-9pm and FRIDAY and SATURDAY 5:30-6:30
MINI WINE DINNER Wednesday November 29th. more info to follow Remember....We are available for parties of any occasion, in your home or at our restaurants.
Please call 354.6060.

Top Dog On The Value Wine List

Well you may have seen my hint a few weeks back, and the last few wines that came to my attention did not dissuade me from my Top Value Wine Pick from the list submitted by the faithful readers herein. Here are my comments about the winner of the flight:

Montecillo Crianza 2002 (Spanish Rioja)
An Official Top Dog of the tasting group. This Spanish Rioja from Kroger and Total Wine is silky, soft and structured, with great notes of medium red fruits and just enough tannin to make me swoon. Tempranillo very often taste cheap when in the Crianza style, meaning released in it’s third year, with at least one year in oak. The next step up would be Riserva, and not fall into our price category. This is an awesome find, and I’m buying by the case. By the way, the 2001 was the actual wine submitted. If it’s any better than this…Wow (95)

Thanks to Kristen Kelly and Barbara Garazo for submitting this wine. I have now tasted the 2001, and the 1998 Riserva, both of which are available at Total Wine. The Riserva prices a bit higher, about $18.

Fleming's Featured Customer

The Fleming's Quarterly Newsletter is out, and your Mayor is featured in a short Q and A. As you all know, my humble beginnings at Fleming's have grown to this auspicious honor of bringing you the latest Richmond Wine News and my take on general wine theory. Please stop by Fleming's and ask to see a copyof the Newsletter, and consider joining in for the fabulous Wine Spectator 90+ Wine Dinner in November. Awesome wines and an awesome menu.

Bonny Doon Is An Odd Place

In an effort to market to the "millenial" market, those turning 21 in the years from 2000 - 2010, Bonny Doon and other wineries get edgy with their Brand. Check out this example. The Millenials are the largest generational market since the baby boomers, numbering about some 20 million Americans. Wine is the drink of choice among this new set, and they are spending more to quench their thirst. Those aged 21 to 34 are 84% more likely to spend $20 or more for a bottle of wine than those 35 or older. Pizza Pairings and impish names are the latest marketing techniques to get wines noticed. Spaceships over Chateauneuf du Papes are just a beginning of the invasion. Buy a Millenial a glass next time you see one perusing the bar's wine list. Or better yet, ask to have a taste of what he's paying for. It's probably more expensive than yours!

A Hint About The Value List

Spain has always been one of my favorite wine producers. It suits my old world style, and there are cutting edge wine makers plying their trade with new exciting ideas. There are more acres of grapes in Spain than any other country, but their total wine production trails France and Italy.
The styles of Spain's wines are evolving. Once known for high alcohol reds and low acid whites, they now are working to entice the taste styles of the world wide market. Government regulations have created higher quality ratings, and the lesser appellations have been properly demoted. Once requisite long oak aging rules have been relaxed and now more fruit is accessible in these wines. While each controlled appellation (DO) has it’s own specific rules, generally they follow a common theme.
Crianza style wines are released in their third year typically, and have generally have about one year in oak. Crianza is the Spanish word for “breeding”, and wines that are released prior to two full years of aging carry the words “sin crianza” (without breeding) on their label. Riservas must be at least three years old and also require one year in oak. The Crianza style is generally more desirable in the American market, although Riservas are considered better wines. Try out a crianza rioja for an affordable interesting old world play.

The Wine Value List

In my weekly newsletter, I have asked my readers to send to me the value wines that they like, those under $12 that make them shout out. I've received some super replies, and I'm happy to be releasing their pleasures soon, probably next week. I'm tasting each and everyone one of the wines and rating them. To get the list, you must send me a wine. It's only fair! I'll list my comments and return the full list to anyone who sends in a wine. If you are not on the Newsletter list, pop me an email or reply to this message with your email addy. Now I'm off to Fleming's for a glass or two and a big ole piece o' cow.

Does Anybody Read This??

Leave it to China

Beijing - The French used grapes, Russians fermented potatoes, Koreans put ginseng in their drink and Mexicans distilled cactus plants to make fiery tequila.Now China is introducing fish wine.Sun Keman, an entrepreneur in the north-east port city of Dalian, has formed the Dalian Fisherman's Song Maritime Biological Brewery, with a plan to use his background in the fishing industry to make fish into wine."Different from China's thousands of years of brewing, the brewery will clean, boil, and ferment fish for making wine," the official Xinhua news agency reported.The company already had orders from Japan, Russia and other parts of China, it said.Tipplers might also take heart in knowing the brew is purported to be good for them."Experts said the wine is nutritious and contains low alcohol," Xinhua said.